Road Warrior, page 15
By ten o’clock, things were pretty well set up in the shop and there was more action on the street. Sarah waved from the cheese shop, and Mario dropped by personally to poke fun at my fish prep style and to deliver a coffee. When I walked him out, I could see that the produce store on the corner had all the bins of freshly harvested apples lined up on the sidewalk. The Market was awake, and business was revving up.
I explained the situation to my first customer, Carol, a local known for the ability to gossip, and asked her to let me know if she or anyone spotted Paul.
“Sure thing,” she said, respectfully sombre at the thought of what had happened. Then, as I expected, she began to get that glint in her eye, excited at the idea of spreading the news. I knew that it would be well picked over by the end of the day, and that, if Paul was around, I would hear about it.
I hadn’t anticipated—although I probably should have—that Neptune’s Nook would become the central discussion area, making business difficult. I supposed it was only natural; the Market was a community and everyone loved Maria, so everyone wanted to come in and chat. In fact, at one point, just before lunch hour, there were more than fifteen people in the little shop all talking at once, not one of them buying fish.
The din became too much, so I banged my tongs on the display case and yelled, “Quiet everybody!” I had to do that a few times until they all settled down and looked at me expectantly.
“Okay, I know you all care about this terrible situation, but I can’t hear myself think and I’m trying to help by keeping the business going, so please go outside to talk. And if you want to come in, you have to buy something or have information for me or both.”
One particularly large and punky local, who we affectionately called Junior, growled. “Never did like that little weasel; can we teach him at thing or two if we find him?”
Some others muttered in disgust, but I said, “I appreciate that you care, Junior, but it would be better if you just let me know. Since we don’t have any real leads, we just want to find out if he saw anything or if Thomas told him anything. I’m guessing he’s scared of all this and just took off. So, don’t scare him—please just let me know if you hear or see anything about the situation or about Paul.”
Everyone nodded and started to talk again, but they still weren’t moving towards the door. “One more thing,” I called out as I came out from behind the counter. They stopped and looked at me, much better behaved this time. I felt like a schoolteacher getting students to cooperate. “I am desperately in need of a break, so if you all would please leave, I’m going to get some lunch.”
“And a coffee, right, Abby?” Junior piped up.
“Smartass,” I said. “But you’ve got my number, pal. And remember folks: no fish, no info, do not enter. Maria needs me to sell sea fare!”
They all laughed a little as they finally walked out in a wave of excited talk. As soon as the last person was out the door, I hung up the “back at 1:00” sign, closed and locked the door, and sighed in relief. After I had washed the fish scales and odour off my hands as well as I could, I trudged upstairs to whip up another healthy shake. This was going to be followed up, as Junior predicted, with an Overdrive coffee chaser—my idea of a liquid lunch. I tried calling Maria’s but the line was busy so I opted for texting my mother and Anita to let them know that I’d check in after I closed up for the day.
The afternoon went much more smoothly. Junior seemed to have decided to police the locals, so he took up residence near the shop door to keep them from bothering me. I had to tell him once to move a little further off because his combat gear and fearsome face were also putting off potential customers. I didn’t tell him that though. I just told him that, as a sleuth, he had to maintain a lower profile. That seemed to make him happy.
Near the end of the day—when I was, once again, well and thoroughly immersed in fish odour—a police car stopped outside during one of the shop’s rare lulls. My heart jumped—perhaps there would be some news about Thomas. Junior had already sauntered up to the open car window when Dave leaned out. They started talking. Curious too, I wiped my hands inadequately on a cloth and headed out to join them. Just then, Junior turned away and walked back to his surveillance spot, looking deflated.
Dave had already opened his door and was getting out of the police car as I drew near. Beside his seat I could see what looked like Thomas’s green sweatshirt. My heart jumped again. “Is that Thomas’s? Did you find him?”
“Hmm?” he asked as he looked back at the passenger seat. “No, it’s not the one he was wearing. Maria gave this to me so we could give a sniff to the dogs when we were searching the neighbourhood.”
“Oh, that’s a gruesome thought.”
Looking grim, he said, “I do have news, but it’s not good.” He glanced around. “Let’s go in, where we can speak privately.” Dave escorted me back to the shop, closed the door, and put his back to it. “I’m on my way to Maria’s now,” he said, “but wanted to tell you this in person.”
I was petrified. “What’s happened?”
“They’ve found Frank. You were right; he was up north. I believe he was picked up while driving south. He’s in an RCMP detachment in Bracebridge right now. They may be bringing him back tomorrow.”
“Why is that bad news? What’s wrong?”
He sighed. “There was no sign of Thomas. The Bracebridge police mentioned that Frank had a rifle and several knives, but that would all align with hunting as well. He was very upset about the news of Thomas and was demanding to go home right away. He got a bit violent and had to be restrained.”
“Oh my God,” I said, feeling nauseous. “That’s all Maria needs. His reaction is understandable though. He must be beside himself and worried about her.”
Dave nodded. “That’s probably true, but he’s also a possible suspect and now he’s in trouble. One way or another, it just increases the seriousness of the situation since Thomas has been missing for four days.”
Starting to remove my apron, I said urgently, “I have to go to Maria!”
“I was hoping you would want to. That’s why I came by.”
My mind was in a whirl. “But I can’t leave the shop like this! The fish will go off.” I thought for a second. “Look Dave,” I said hurriedly as I reached around him to put up the closed sign. “Can you give me ten minutes? I can throw the rest of the fish in the freezer for now and deal with it later. I just need to do a fast wipe down with bleach and soap, and then clean myself up a bit.”
He nodded. “Good idea, if you can be that quick. Maria will definitely need you, so I can wait.” He stepped forward as he said, “What can I do to help?”
The thought of Dave cleaning up the fish guts made me smile. I was sure he could do it, but not in his rather tidy detective clothes.
“No, that’s okay. Tell you what, though … could you go to Mario’s place and get me a coffee and maybe add some pastries for Maria while I get into high gear? I can probably do the work here faster that way. I’ll join you in your car in ten, no, make that, fifteen minutes.”
“Done,” he said, looking slightly relieved with my request—it was much better than fish guts. I locked the door behind him, metaphorically pushed up my sleeves, and tackled the job as fast as I could.
There was no way I could set up the next day without sterilizing again later, but in five minutes the fish was gone, ice was in the sink, and a very strong, nose burning soap-bleach solution was on all surfaces. I ran up the stairs to my apartment, stripped, threw myself in the shower, toweled, and threw on some cleanish clothes, all in five minutes. Grabbing my bag, jacket, and keys I ran back down the stairs and out the front door.
Dave was true to his word. He handed me a very large coffee and laughed. “You are super fast, Abby.” He took a tentative sniff. “And no fish smell either. I’m impressed.”
“Yes,” I said, adrenalin still pumping. “Sorry I’m not better coiffed, but how do you like my eau-de-bleach perfume?” He laughed as I took a sip. “Ahhh, thanks for this. It’s just what I needed, but oh, I’m so worried about Frank and Thomas. This is unbelievable.”
“Yes, I know. But I have to stress how important it is to remain calm for the family’s sake.”
I nodded. “I agree.”
“Now,” Dave said, “even though we need to be cool, we also need some speed, so I’m going to use the lights but not the siren. I’ll have to concentrate to keep us, and those on the street, safe, so I won’t talk much, if that’s okay with you?”
“Of course. I’ll hold on tight and try not to spill the coffee. Luckily I don’t get carsick,” I said, holding on to the car door handle as he turned the corner onto Spadina a little faster than usual. As we drove along silently, I noticed that the sweatshirt was gone. I guess Dave didn’t want to remind me about it, I thought as I sat and sipped my coffee.
Left with my thoughts as we wound our way through the early rush hour, I considered that, if the situation wasn’t so serious it might have been exciting racing the streets with a very handsome detective in a police car, lights flashing and all. But, instead, I found myself feeling guilty for doubting him and wondering how I could help Maria when she heard the news. It was reassuring to know Arabella would be there as well, since she was good at nurturing the people she loves.
CHAPTER 22
I WAS SURPRISED AT MARIA’S REACTION when she heard the news about Frank. We had assembled in her living room, my mother and Anita flanking her on the couch while Dave and I sat on the empty chairs opposite. He and I leaned forward earnestly as Dave explained what had transpired when Frank was picked up. I watched Maria’s face intently and was surprised at what I saw: first there was relief, and then firm resolve. I needed some of the drugs she was on, I thought. I had fully expected her to be overcome with anxiety and distress.
Instead, she said wearily, “You know, it’s a relief to hear that Thomas is not with Frank. I couldn’t stand the thought that I really didn’t know my husband at all, that we had grown that far apart.” She continued, “Poor man. He must be beside himself worrying, and so angry with himself too.” Trust Maria to be so charitable and to turn her concern to Frank. I hoped she was right about him.
“What about the gun and the knives?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “He always takes those with him when he goes north. I’m positive he would never, ever hurt Thomas…. Even,” her face crumpled, “if he is so angry with me. But Abby,” she said, looking at me sadly, “he’s not really angry at me—he’s just so stressed and angry with himself.”
Then she looked at Dave. “When will they let him come home? I need Frank here, where he belongs.”
“I’m not sure, Maria. Even without the issue of Thomas, there is now the assault on an officer to deal with.”
“But surely,” I said, “they must realize there are mitigating circumstances.”
Dave nodded. “Of course, but we’ll have to see. He’ll definitely spend the night in Bracebridge. We’ll hear what a judge says tomorrow morning.” He smiled at Maria reassuringly. “I will pass your thoughts and concerns to the police and ask them to let Frank know how you’re feeling.”
She nodded. “Please,” she said. “He must be so upset.” Then, as the reality of the situation hit her, she crumpled again. “Oh my God! If Thomas is not with Frank, then where is he? It’s bad, isn’t it? He’s been gone so long.” She put the back of her fist to her mouth and tried to stifle the inevitable tears.
I don’t cry often, but I felt tears running down my face for the second time that day. It had taken a moment for the stark reality of the situation to hit Maria, probably a result of the drugs she’d been taking that kept her numb. Even for me, the possibility of what might have happened to Thomas was horrifying. I went over to her and knelt down, holding her hand gently and, I hoped, reassuringly. “Don’t give up. Maria, we’ll keep looking. At least now one mystery is solved—we know where Frank went.”
She looked up at me and nodded. “I know you’re doing everything you can—and more.” She even smiled slightly. “Look, you’ve been tending the shop, which is enough in itself. I know it’s not fun for you. But heaven knows we might need that income if Frank loses his job over this.”
“Besides,” she straightened, “I don’t know if it’s a mother’s intuition or what, but I don’t feel like Thomas is gone forever. I’m just so scared for him….” Her tenuous balance veered off again. “He must be so frightened…. He could be hurt. Oh, who knows who has him or if he’s lost and cold….” She trailed off, picking at her sleeve, pale, silent, anxious.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Maria straightened again. “That must be Reenie’s friend’s mother bringing her back. My poor baby—she’s asking questions now and I don’t know what to say anymore.”
Arabella stood up and took our friend’s hand. “Come on, Maria. We’ll take care of this. You head upstairs. I’ll stay with you and Anita will take care of Reenie.”
As a compliant Maria started to walk towards the stairs, I called after her. “Wait, I’ll walk you up. I have a question I want to ask you.” She waited and we walked up together.
When I came back down, my mother was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs and started to speak hurriedly. “Thanks, Abby. I’ll go up now. This is so awful.”
As I nodded sympathetically, she went on. “I wanted to talk to you about little Reenie. At least, for the last few days, the media have gotten tired of this story and are being a little more discreet, which is a blessing for her. We’ve been keeping her home from school, but, of course, she sees how upset Maria is and obviously knows that something is wrong. With Frank coming back, they will have to work out a plan for how much they’ll share with Reenie; maybe they should have a family conference.”
Nodding, I said, “That’s a good idea.” I continued, “Mom, you’ve been a rock. This can’t be easy for you either; you love them all so dearly.
“That’s true. I do, but right now we have to remain strong. I know that sounds trite but it’s the truth.” She gave me a big hug and continued quickly, “We’ll talk more later. I have to go up to Maria.” And then she said, uncharacteristically warmly, “I love you, dear.”
“Me too, Mom,” I said, overwhelmed and shocked at how the unfolding tragedy was bringing us closer together. As she headed upstairs, I found myself suddenly feeling empathy for her own struggles with my irresponsible father.
Luckily, I was unable to dwell on my family’s problems much because when Reenie bounced in, she ran right to me and jumped into my arms. “Hi Aunty Abby,” she said, burying her head in my shoulder. She smelled like the fresh outdoor air and the cotton candy sweetness of a young child. I held her tightly for a minute.
“Hey there, sweet cheeks,” I said as I put her down and helped her out of her jacket.
The little girl was wearing a tutu and a tiara. Once she was released from her outerwear, she spun around and, in a singsong voice, continued, “We were playing princess at Allie’s house. I chased dragons and turned them into rabbits with my wand.” She twirled her sparkly wand in the air.
“That sounds like fun and very brave,” I said, laughing. Anita came up to take over. “You know, Reenie,” I said as I handed her over, “I could use your powers with that wand in the fish shop. I’m working there until your mom feels better and since I don’t have your magical powers, I have to do the hard, smelly work all by hand.”
Holding Anita’s hand, she reached out with her other to offer me her wand. “Here,” she said. “You can borrow it—maybe it will help you. But I can’t tell you the magic words.”
Touched, I smiled and replied, “That’s very kind of you to share your wand with me.”
Dave came up and tousled her hair. “Thanks for the luck, little one. We need it. Your Aunty Abby and I have to go now,” he said.
“Okay,” the little girl replied as she gave me, and then Dave, another big hug. Watching their exchange, I remembered how much fun Thomas was having with Dave just a few days before at Overdrive, and marvelled again at how easily Maria’s kids seemed to take to him. My brow furrowed slightly when I thought about Maria’s answer to my question about giving Dave Thomas’s sweatshirt. Dave seemed so sincere. He couldn’t be up to no good, could he? Shrugging, I decided to leave it for the time being. I was probably worrying too much.
I gave Anita a quick hug too. “Thanks for being here, my friend. We haven’t really had a chance to talk much lately either.”
“Yes,” she replied, “too many memories, but I’ll be okay and we can talk later.” She turned to escort Reenie up the stairs.
The police car ride back to Kensington Market was more sedate. Feeling exhausted and worried, I was quiet at first. When I found myself musing again about Dave’s way with kids, I commented: “I can see why people wanted you to watch their kids.”
“I’ve always enjoyed them,” he replied. “Like I said, I was on the spot with the kids since my mother and father were always doing something on the commune. It was okay, but as I got older, I got one of the other kids who seemed like a leader to take over. That’s when I started to rebel against the loosey-goosey nature of the farm. Eventually I just took off.”
He continued, “How about you? It must have been tough with your father.”
“How’d you know about that?” I asked, surprised.
“Oh, Arabella, Anita, and I have chatted a few times while I’ve been here, and Mario might have let a few things drop. He’s very fond of you.”
So much for my secrets, I thought, with my mother and all my friends ready to share anything with a pretty face. I smiled though, and said, “I’ve known Mario for a long time. We’re good friends.”
